Joyfulomyoga with Genise

Namaste, Joyful Gems! 🙏 One of our dear yogis is hosting a unique sound bath experience at Collective Wellness Of Summerville on Friday, January 23rd, at 6:30 PM. Kindly reach out to CrystalWavesWellness for more details. Secure your spot today! ✨

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 Welcome to 2026!

"As I align my body, breath and heart, I know what is true. Even when the path is unclear, I trust." This intention of Faith will be explored the entire month of January.

In the Indian yoga tradition, faith (Sraddha) is about trusting the process (Yoga Sutra 1.20), especially when progress feels slow or even stalled (Yoga Sutra 1.12). Faith is less about belief and more about confidence born of inner sensing that is strengthened through steady practice (abhyasa), patience, and surrender.

In Kemetic yoga, faith is expressed through right alignment, lived truth, and embodied knowing. These are the principles of Ma’at. The practice of yoga in the Kemetic tradition requires alignment with Truth, Balance, Justice, and Harmony with natural cosmic law.

Remember: Truth is practiced until it is known. Namaste 🙏

Happy New Year, Joyful Gems! 🥳🥂 This great turning of the wheel invites us to pause, breathe, and remember our sankalpa--our intentional vow to come home to ourselves. Instead of chasing resolutions, let this year unfold from inner awareness; cultivating greater presence with each inhale, more compassion with each exhale, and ample curiosity with every step. May your practice be a sanctuary of joy, strength, and serenity, on and off the mat. From my heart to yours, I wish you a new year of embodied peace and vibrant possibility. 🙏✨

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 I invite us to receive the holiday season as a beautiful invitation to pause, breathe, and come home to ourselves. May your practice be a soft place to land amid the sparkle and last minute preparations, and a reminder that presence is the greatest gift you can offer yourself and others. As you move through the next few days, remember to:

🎁 Inhale gratitude for the small, sacred moments
🎁 Exhale stress, comparison, and ideas of lack
🎁 Lead with compassion for your mind, body, heart, and community

Wishing you a season of joy, rest, and deep inner peace ✨ 🕊

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 Our intention for the week: "Power is the breath expressed through the body."

Parivrtta Baddha Parsvakonasana--Bound Extended Side Angle pose--is an energizing and de-stressing pose. The lock (Baddha) provides balance and facilitates chest opening. It releases tension in the hips, lower back, and hamstrings.

Therapeutically, it helps heal lower back stiffness, boosts physical and mental stamina, and ease menstrual cramps, where applicable.

Need to cultivate awareness, clarity, and focus? Bound Extended Side Angle is one of those essential poses that develops awareness and focus through precise alignment, strengthening the lower body and improving posture.

If you’re an athlete or martial artist, Baddha Utthita Parsvakonasana is particularly beneficial. Namaste!

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 This week’s Super Moon invites a deeper pause, a settling of the nervous system, and a slow unwinding of everything you’ve been carrying. Join me for a Super Moon Yin practice this Thursday, December 4th at 6:00 PM, to ground, soften, and reconnect you to your inner rhythms.

Expect long, nourishing holds, lunar-inspired shapes, and a final Super Moon Yoga Nidra to close — a guided rest to help you release what’s heavy and call in what’s true.

🧘🏽‍♀️ Perfect for anyone craving stillness, gentle opening, or energetic reset
🌙 No experience needed
💫 Come as you are and let the moonlight do the rest

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 This week's intention: "Strength arises where breath and intention meet."

One of my favorite asanas is Utkata Konoasana - Goddess pose. It’s a fun, beginner pose that symbolizes strength, power, and divine feminine energy. Utkata Konasana means Fierce Angle Pose in Sanskrit. Goddess pose is excellent for enhancing the hips, flexibility, and range of motion. It builds quads and leg strength, while targeting the knees, ankles, and hip joints.

Goddess pose clears negative, emotional energy making it a wonderful pose for painful menstruation. It’s one of those poses that cultivates a strong mind-body connection, making it excellent for children, teens and the young of heart. Have fun with it!

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 Join us for yoga and an immersive sound bath experience during the first full moon in December on Thursday, December 4th at 6:30 PM at Collective Wellness Summerville. Only 15 spots are available, grab 'em before they're gone! Contact Collective Wellness Of Summerville for more information. See y'all there!

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 In keeping with our theme of Strength in mind, body and spirit, our intention this week: "Strength stabilizes us; steadiness is strength in motion."

As Patanjali reminds us in the Yoga Sutra (II.46), "sthira sukham asanam—true practice balances effort with ease."

In each shape we take—whether standing on one leg, balancing on our sit bones, or lifting the heart skyward—we cultivate the kind of strength that is grounded, present, and steady from within. ✨

Namaste, Joyful Gems 🙏 Continuing with the Science of Breath, our intention this week is: "Strength arises where breath and intention meet."

I think most yogis will agree that Savasana, or Co**se Pose, is the well-deserved “dessert” after any yoga practice. In a soothing yet cool environment, we settle into grounding stillness, allowing the breath to soften and the body to relax as the parasympathetic nervous system guides us out of the fight-or-flight state.

However, when a sandbag is added to the abdomen during Savasana, placed below the navel and above the pelvic girdle, the gentle weight supports diaphragmatic breathing and helps strengthen the respiratory muscles. NOTE: Avoid adding the sandbag if you have high blood pressure or heart and lung concerns.

Though there will be some effort with the inhale, the exhale will be effortless. So, surrender my friends. ✨

Disclaimer:
The practices, movements, breathing exercises, and suggestions offered on this page are intended for general well-being, relaxation, and education. They are not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Consult your physician before proceeding with any yoga offerings.

Image Credit: Love My Mat